A senior official of the KwaZulu-Natal department of sport, arts and culture is resisting attempts by her employer to transfer her to a position she claims does not exist.
Nokubonga Lucia Mhlongo, the deputy director: organisational development, has since roped in the Public Servants Association (PSA) to help her take the matter to MEC Mntomuhle Khawula to stop what she views as victimisation.
Documents obtained by Sunday World show that the decision to transfer Mhlongo was taken after she was investigated for fraud but never charged.
According to a letter the Psa wrote to Khawula, Mhlongo has exhausted all internal mechanisms to fight off the alleged victimisation disguised as a lawful transfer, hence the union is now taking the matter up with the MEC.
“The PSA, acting on behalf of Mhlongo, respectfully calls for your urgent intervention to address serious and persistent instances of unethical conduct, unfair labour practices, and safety risks within the department.
“Mhlongo has sought resolution through internal mechanisms, but these efforts have been met with indifference and retaliation, necessitating immediate and decisive action from your office,” the Psa wrote to Khawula in a letter dated 3 December 2024.
In the same letter, the union highlighted an incident it believes led to Mhlongo being victimised.
“ Mhlongo highlighted the appointment of two officials within the Organisational Development Unit who do not meet the competency requirements for their roles. She requested that the department manage the signing of performance agreements for these individuals to ensure accountability and adherence to proper procedures.
“This issue remains unaddressed in clear violation of the principles enshrined in the Public Service Act, 1994 (Proclamation 103 of 1994) and the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 (PFMA), which require that public resources, including human resources, be managed transparently and effectively,” the union wrote.
The union also pointed out that Mhlongo conscientiously compiled a status quo report advising against the excessive use of consultants, which she identified as wasteful and detrimental to departmental efficiency.
“This report was disregarded, reflecting poor governance and a failure to prioritise the effective use of public funds, as required by the PFMA.”
Furthermore, the union alleged that after exposing the rot in the department, Mhlongo is now facing death threats.
“Most alarming are the credible death threats Mhlongo has received, linked to her efforts to expose unethical conduct. It is well-documented that another official who received similar threats was tragically murdered. Despite this, the Department dismissed her concerns as a “scam,” neglecting its duty of care to protect employees from harm. This constitutes a breach of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993, which requires employers to ensure a safe working environment.”
The spokesperson for the department said they have made neither an attempt to demote Mhlongo nor appeal to Khawula.
“The KwaZulu-Natal Department of sport, arts and culture would like to place on record that it has not at any stage demoted the employee in question. To this end, [the] department is not aware of any issues that were escalated to the MEC. Furthermore, the department does not discuss employer-employee matters in the media. The department refutes all allegations contained in the correspondence,” Mofokeng said.
